Shallow Requiem
by Black Angel of the Underworld
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto is dead – or is he? After his death during the Wave Mission, everything seems to fall apart for the copycat ninja. Gaining a new teammate isn't helping including entering the dysfunctional team for the Chunin Exams. But when they're attacked by Orochimaru, they are saved by Naruto who is not who he seems to be. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE! Yaoi, R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This is something that's been stuck in my mind for a quite a long time. I hope you guys will enjoy it.**

**Full Summary: Uzumaki Naruto is dead – or is he? After his unexpected death during the Wave Mission, everything seems to fall apart for a certain copycat ninja. Gaining a new teammate isn't helping including entering the Chunin Exams. But when the newly formed and dysfunctional Team Seven is attacked by Orochimaru in the second phase, they are saved by Naruto however he is not who he seems to be. For one thing, he's a full-grown teenager and doesn't seem to care for their well-being.**

**WARNING: OOCness, gore, angst, past yaoi and POSSIBLE future yaoi, etc. If you don't like yaoi…just go back and pretend you never read this fic; but the amount of yaoi in here won't be too extreme unless necessary. EXTREME Sakura-bashing and slight Sasuke-bashing along with a few OC's-bashing.**

**Disclaimer: …don't, just don't…OC's are mine though. **

* * *

Kakashi sighed for what seemed the umpteenth time that day – or night. He was in a bar; getting wasted from the amount of drinks he was drinking. He was even told by the bartender several times that he would personally call for the ANBU to drag him out so he just stood up and left, leaving what the bill asked for.

He walked through the empty, cold streets with his hands shoved in his pockets. What happened on _that_ day was even worse then what he did to Rin. He could still feel his hand go through _his _flesh, creating that hideous, gaping hole in his chest through his heart. It was a different feeling from what happened with Rin. He felt remorse from killing his long-time friend and teammate but killing his one true affection in his life was something different. He just hoped that Rin up there would understand.

In the heavens, a certain brown-haired kunoichi sneezed, wiping her nose with a tissue that Kushina gave her.

He let out another sigh as he saw his apartment in view. No matter how much he drank, he still felt like his head was only cleared for that dreadful event.

He seriously needed to get it together, not only for himself but for his team as well. Yet he never knew how difficult it was. As soon as his head heavily hit his pillow, he just wished that everything could start over again. But fate is, sadly, cruel. He just hoped that tomorrow would be a better day.

The next day, he woke up late as always. He let out a sigh as he lazily read the clock. 12:37 P.M. Well, his team was patient…he hoped. He arranged a meeting for them at the bridge at 9'o clock sharp. Oh, well, he never kept his promises.

He forced himself out of bed and grimaced at the taste of his breath. Alcohol seemed to come off of him in waves when he looked in the mirror. His hair just seemed messier if that was possible and his one eye seemed similar to his Sharingan. And his head was pounding like hell.

He looked down to his side to only see _him_ looking at him with a serious look in his beautiful cerulean eyes. "What did I say about alcohol, Sensei? You know I hate alcohol, 'ttebayo."

He let out a weak chuckle and tried hard not to blink but blinked anyways to see _him_ gone. Damn body instincts and his hangover delusions.

He dragged his lazy ass into the bathroom and took a quick, hot shower, wishing that the water would take the pain from him down the drain, but he knew that the water could only do so much. He changed into a fresh set of clothes, checking for anything that was missing. He picked up the all too familiar orange book from his nightstand, thinking on whether to bring it or not.

He left his apartment, locking the door behind him, his nose buried in the book he was holding; he somehow felt a bit guilty and amused for not taking the big step in their relationship.

Suddenly, he cursed when a realization struck him hard in the head. They were gaining a new teammate today. He just hoped it wasn't some douche bag or a whiny bitch. He got his hands full already as it is.

(Meeting Point)

Sasuke was sitting (brooding…) as usual under the tree with his sorry excuse of a teammate Sakura. Seriously, her mindless and exaggerated flirtations with him annoyed him to the point where he just wanted to jump off a cliff and get stabbed by a bunch of sharp rocks on the bottom.

They've waited for three hours already and their sensei was still not here. They actually didn't blame him – well, Sasuke didn't; he didn't know about the pink-haired banshee.

Ever since the death of their energetic teammate, he felt…empty, hollow even. It was the same feeling he felt when his clan was murdered by his brother. However, it was more of a sorrowful feeling than vengeance taking over his system.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura grinned, leaning in too close to his liking. "Can we go to that new restaurant that was just opened today? I passed by it this morning and it just looks _so_ pretty inside! They have all these lights and decorations that could – "

"No," Sasuke answered with a blank face. "I'm busy."

Sakura pouted, making herself look like a fish. "But the – "

"No." That was his final answer. Seriously, she wanted to become a kunoichi because of him? Did that even make sense? Although, the only good thing about her is that she could move on with the death of a teammate. Note the sarcasm.

A small _poof_ brought their attention to their late sensei.

"Yo," Kakashi greeted with an eye-smile.

"You're late!" Sakura screeched, pointing her finger at the older male.

In the back of his head, he could still hear the faint voice of his beloved ball of sunshine saying that to him, too, and judging from the well-hidden expression on the Uchiha confirmed his suspicions. He couldn't feel but a little pride to know that _he_ chose him over the revenge obsessed teen.

He comically put his finger in his ear. "Ma, ma, sorry about that. I did wake up early this morning but as I walked down the streets, I couldn't stop helping the elderly. And then I came across a black cat and decided to go around it; instead, it tried to follow me. I went through many troubles and – "

"They're all lame excuses!" Sakura screeched again. This time both of the present males winced at the sheer volume of the girl's voice that somehow seemed impossible to reach. Sasuke shivered unintentionally, knowing that this girl might be a screamer. Wait…where did that thought come from?

"Anyways, we'll be doing missions again today," Kakashi continued as if nothing happened.

"What kind of missions?" Sakura asked, narrowing her ugly green eyes. "If it involves more traveling, I can't stand it. There are so many mosquitoes this year it's not even funny! I've just received my new facial cream this morning and there were some pimples on my forehead!"

Kakashi couldn't resist the urge to roll his eyes. "Sakura, we'll just be doing the same thing as before, weeding people's gardens and such. I could go on but – let's just go to the Hokage's Tower and get some missions, okay?"

Even Sasuke noticed the hint of exasperation in the Jounin's eyes. Sakura just flushed from embarrassment and immediately clung to Sasuke's arm, which made him shake her off before shoving his hands into his pockets and following his sensei's trail.

Sasuke knew that the man liked Naruto, but he never knew that they would take it so far. He never missed the quick hand-holding scenes they shared together in secret when they thought he wasn't looking or the soft, loving look in Kakashi's eyes whenever he looked at the blonde. He didn't know why but inside it made him boil in anger and jealousy at looking at probably the most perfect couple that ever walked on the planet. But, setting their nonexistent differences aside, he understood the pain and emptiness the copycat ninja felt; probably because he was feeling the same way, too.

None of them spoke a word, only Sakura's mindless ramblings droning on and on in the background.

(Hokage's Tower)

Hiruzen never stopped grieving. He grieved day and night, wishing to see the bright smile from his favorite knuckle-headed ninja to only realize that he would never see it again.

He cried when he saw the pale, thin face of said ninja in his small coffin, trembling when he laid down the white flowers beside his frail body. Of course, no one but Kakashi and a few ANBU who looked over him when he was young came that day along with, surprisingly, the Uchiha boy who only blended in the background. The pink-haired girl was there that day as well but only because her crush was there. Her overly exaggerated fake tears and sobs really ruined the moment and it took all of his willpower from strangling her.

He laid his forehead onto his clasped hands, begging, praying. He knew that the boy's parents would be highly disappointed in him, furious as well, that he couldn't keep that one single promise. He really hated fate. Whatever sick plan she had in her mentally deranged head was enough for him to just…oh, it was useless.

The door opened, revealing his secretary; a tall, skinny woman she was with her red hair and green eyes. But her hair was nothing compared to the silky, brilliant crimson to that of Uzumaki Kushina or her eyes that was just considered average under the magnificent jade-colored eyes that he missed terribly. Well, shit. He should hire someone else. He was clearly too old for all of this bullshit that his miserable life threw at him.

"Hokage-sama," the woman spoke, fixing her glasses and adjusting the clipboard she held in her arms. "The boy is here. Shall I let him enter?"

"Yes, please," Hiruzen replied. He forgot all about the new teammate he chose for Team Seven. He just hoped nothing too serious would happen but he doubted that, considering the fact that the decisions he had made were all terrible. But, still, he wished that this decision would be worth it. This boy was the only one who didn't sound like a douche bag, no offense.

The woman nodded, making way for a teen boy to enter, and closed the door behind her.

Hiruzen was mildly surprised at the appearance of the boy. He was rather striking with his wavy brown hair and dark brown eyes. His body reminded him of a runner or possibly a swimmer's. His clothes were all dark, consisting of a turtleneck sleeveless gray sweater, black shinobi pants, and a pair of black sandals. A kunai and shuriken holster was attached to his thigh and hip like all the other genins.

The boy bowed. "Good afternoon, Hokage-sama. My name is Endo Jin. I hope that we could be in good terms from now on."

Well, at least he was polite and well-mannered despite his lack of background.

"And to you, Jin," Hiruzen nodded. "Please wait until your team arrives."

It felt a bit awkward in the room as several teams weaved in and out of the room, picking up their missions and stealing a glance at the boy. A girl even fainted at the sight of him, causing Hiruzen to mentally sigh at the scene. Why are all of the girls interested in boys rather than fighting enemies on the field and improving their techniques? Why?

Finally, the door opened hours later, revealing a very quiet Team Seven. The pink-haired girl was tossed onto the floor by Kakashi and woke up at the impact.

Hiruzen quickly looked at Jin's reaction of the team to see him gaze up and down Kakashi's body. Kami-sama…why? And was that a hint of lust? Damn teenage hormones and sexy guys with gray hair. Wait…he didn't say anything. Shh.

Sakura quickly composed herself and bowed with a major stutter in her speech. Hiruzen raised his hand for her to stop blabbering.

"Ah, Team Seven," Hiruzen greeted. "Here is your new teammate I told you of yesterday. Please, make yourself comfortable."

Jin bowed, not taking his eyes off of Kakashi. "Hello. My name is Endo Jin. I hope that we would be on good terms from now on."

"Sakura Haruno," Sakura greeted back roughly, eyeing him as if he was garbage. "Are you gay? 'Cause if you are then you should know that Sasuke's mine."

"Sakura," Kakashi spoke in a low, warning tone. "Respect your teammates."

Rather than being annoyed, Jin looked amused. "Oh, no problem; I am certain that I won't be taking your…_boyfriend_. I have my eyes for something else. And, to your question, I'm bi."

Sakura smirked in approval while latching onto Sasuke's arm who only shook her off. Jin raised an eyebrow at the display and tried to keep in his laughter, quickly catching on that he wasn't clearly her boyfriend.

"Here is your list of missions for today," Hiruzen said, clearing his throat to gain their attention. "Come back with them completed. They're all D-rank and requires a lot of _teamwork._"

He stressed the word unconditionally, looking at the team with a stern gaze.

Kakashi nodded and led his team out the door.

As soon as they left, Hiruzen took out the all too familiar orange book from his drawers and started reading. He didn't feel much as he read the juicy lines…damn his life.

(With Team Seven)

The team finally arrived at the civilian woman's outdoor garden that was on their list and required weeding. Kakashi watched as his students started to do it without a word. It was more like a staring match with Sakura and Jin. Sakura kept on glaring whenever Jin passed by her and Sasuke's "territory" while the boy just smiled at her innocently.

When they were finished, they left for another weeding job. Kakashi never missed the way Jin was looking at him or the way he tried to get close.

"You might want to use this," Jin whispered, slipping some bottle in his hand. "You still smell like alcohol."

Jin smiled at him innocently and walked ahead of him. Kakashi never missed the way Jin swayed his hips – just like _him_ when he walked.

* * *

**A/N What do you think? Good, bad?**

**I thought Hiruzen's P.O.V. would help put at least a bit of humor in the fic. It's a bit long but I needed to express the way they're all feeling right now. Sakura…meh, who cares?**

**REVIEW PLEASE! _**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Yay! This is for you watervaper9 and to everyone who reviewed/followed/favorited! Naruto's P.O.V. will be at the end. ^^ll**

**Disclaimer: …do I have to say this? It's pretty clear…unless I am – nope. Nevermind. OC's belong to me though and my deranged mind.**

**WARNING: Angst and all that shenanigan, yaoi fluff, OOCness, Sakura-bashing, dark humor, etc.**

* * *

It's been only two days since Jin joined the team and Kakashi could already see the team falling apart. Sakura with her head in the clouds and mindless rambling was to be reckoned with (and ignored) while Sasuke's endless brooding just made him more...emo. Jin was a mystery. He's probably why the team was falling apart. And his flirtations with him never cease to end.

Today was just another day for missions and they were on their last one: catching the abomination of a cat Tora.

"Duckass, here," Sasuke grumbled in the earpiece.

"Pink Banshee, here," Sakura mumbled. "Hey! Why do I have to be a banshee? What about – "

"Jin, here," Jin smiled, cutting off Sakura. Of course, he just had to nickname them.

"Scarecrow, here," Kakashi drawled. "Anyone see it?" _It_ was referred to as Tora. Just mentioning the cat would make shivers go up his spine. She was his most feared enemy if that was possible.

"I see it!" Sakura screeched. Her faint, rushed footsteps told everyone that she was running. An _oof_ signaled that she missed. "Sorry, Sasuke-kun, I couldn't catch it."

Kakashi could sense that the said male rolled his eyes.

"I caught it!" Jin exclaimed.

The rest of the team navigated their way in the forest and finally found Jin in a clearing, sitting on top of the hissing feline and keeping it down – with a kunai at its throat.

"Great, Jin," Kakashi said, walking towards the pair. "Let's go back and take a break for the day."

Jin smiled, obviously pleased at the compliment.

(Hokage's Tower)

Hiruzen was surprised that Team Seven came back with the abomination of a feline in their hold, not to mention that it was a new record, thirty minutes.

After submitting a report and watching the daimyo's wife squish the cat to death, Kakashi dismissed everyone to only meet face-to-face with Jin.

"I was wondering if we could go get some lunch," Jin asked. "The other two left already."

Kakashi mentally sighed. "I'm not sure, Jin. I have other duties later."

"You can learn more about me," Jin smiled. "And I can pick up some things from you. It's just dango if you don't mind."

Kakashi thought about it for a few minutes before nodding slowly. Learning about this enigma will be some benefit for him – he hoped.

"Great!" Jin grinned. "Let's go!"

His grin and smile…it was painfully like _him_, but not like him at the same time. Jin forgot to close his eyes when he smiled. And for that, Kakashi mentally thanked him.

(Dango Store)

"So, where are you from?" Kakashi asked, slightly awkward while sitting on top of a stool.

"I would rather not say," Jin replied, chewing on a dango piece. "It's pretty vague."

"Okay, then, who are your parents?" Kakashi itched to just shushin away but it would be rude and he didn't want his student to get suspicious.

"I'm an orphan," Jin replied casually. "I lived with a distant relative but he was a pain in the ass to be with so I left."

"Why did you come here?" Kakashi asked, curious.

Jin stayed quiet for a few minutes before eyeing Kakashi's plate. "Are you going to have that?"

Kakashi just pushed his plate of dango forward to let the boy eat it. Ironic since he was the one who asked him out for lunch.

"I have a goal I want to achieve, a dream even," Jin spoke quietly. "I sort of…lost someone that I loved deeply. He urged me to go and achieve what I wanted. I – "

"Oi, Kakashi!" a female voice exclaimed. "Oh, who's this cutie? Your new little boy toy?"

"Anko," Kakashi greeted dryly. "What are you doing here?"

"I practically live here," Anko replied with a roll of her eyes. She sat down next to Kakashi and leaned too close to his and a certain boy's liking. "So, you gonna order anymore? I'm broke at the moment."

"What were you – gambling," Kakashi deadpanned. "You seriously need to stop."

Anko grinned cheekily, slinging her arm over his shoulder. "Old habits die hard. Now introduce me to this one. What happened with the blonde?"

Kakashi visibly flinched. Jin glared at the purple-haired woman. She was a bit too close.

"My name is Endo Jin. Apparently I'm the one replacing the…_blonde_." He spat the word out like it was some kind of trash.

"What?" Anko said, confused.

"He's…dead," Kakashi mumbled under his breath, not noticing the seething hatred in Jin's eyes. "He was killed during a C-rank mission, which turned out to be an A-rank."

Anko widened her eyes. "What? The blonde kid? But…you're coming with me. Sorry, kid. He needs a lecture. Put the bill on my tab."

"I thought you were broke," Jin said dryly.

Anko chuckled sheepishly. "Just do it, will ya? I'll pay it later."

She grabbed Kakashi's arm and _poofed_ into a white puff of smoke. Jin's eyebrow twitched as he left the store, leaving what the check asked for.

(Jounin Lounge)

"Let me get this straight," Anko said, crossing her arms over her large chest. "You and your little followers were assigned on a C-rank mission to escort some old geezer to his homeland – " Kakashi nodded. " – but you were later attacked by the Demon Brothers and found out that it was actually an A-rank mission. You continued anyways 'cause of the blonde's words and shit and kept going – " Kakashi nodded weakly with a wince. " – Then you were attacked by Zabuza and some hunter-nin, who was actually his assistant, knocked him out. Yadda, yadda, yadda. You face off on the bridge and…you lost me there."

Kakashi sighed wearily. Anko had a look of sympathy on her face. "It's fine, Kakashi. Just let it out. I swear I won't tell anyone."

"On the bridge," Kakashi whispered finally, "we faced Zabuza and his assistant Haku. The boys were facing Haku who apparently had a kekkai-genkai while Sakura protected the bridge-builder Tazuna. I faced Zabuza one-on-one. I later summoned my dogs and finally got them to restrict Zabuza from movement. I charged up my chidori and – " His voice choked and tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

Anko took him into her arms, petting his gray hair softly. Her touches reminded Kakashi of _ him_.

"Shh, shh," Anko soothed. "Let it out. It's…gonna be okay. Keep going."

"I killed _him_," Kakashi whispered. "I killed _him_. He came out of nowhere. I – I couldn't stop. I rammed my chidori through his heart and he stopped moving. I screamed for Kyuubi to do something but it was too late. They were both gone."

Anko couldn't help but feel bad for her friend. She hugged him even tighter and felt his tears soak her chest; she didn't care and wished to share his sorrow.

The next words that came out of his mouth made her heart stop.

"I loved him."

Unknown to them both, Jin was listening to every word being spoken, clenching his fists in anger while his nails dug in to his palms. He seemed to glare at empty space before vanishing into the shadows, leaving no trace that he was there.

(Unknown Location)

"Are you sure?" a cloaked figure asked. "If you go…"

"I know the consequences," his companion replied solemnly. "But I have to go. This world is already broken as it is."

The two of them stared at each other before hugging each other, never wanting to let go. They broke apart reluctantly.

"Stay safe, will you? Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?"

"This seal is for only one person. I can't risk you being in danger. Who knows what'll happen."

The cloaked figure sighed. "Just don't come back with half of your body gone."

"I won't," his companion chuckled.

In the distance, faint shouts were heard and both of them could see the faint light of flames coming closer. They thanked Kami that the trees were thick enough to disguise them.

"Hurry up and go!"

"Wait…there's something I need to say, Kuruto," his companion spoke quietly.

"Alright, make it q – " He was silenced when lips came crashing onto him. It was a soft and quick kiss.

"I love you," his companion whispered.

Kuruto stood in shock for a moment until a small smile appeared on his fair face. "Love you, too; now get the hell out of here! I'll distract them."

"Aw, you want me gone already?" his friend teased.

"Shut up, Uzumaki! Now go before we get both of our asses fried!"

Kuruto watched as his friend – or lover; he didn't know what to call him at the moment, but lover sounded good – go through a bunch of quick, complicated hand seals and take out a black scroll.

"I'll see you later?" his friend smiled gently, unraveling the scroll that had an array of complicated seals.

Kuruto snorted and rolled his eyes but a smile couldn't be helped from spreading on his face. "Just come back alive."

"I'll try."

"Shut it, Uzumaki."

That was the last thing he said before his lover vanished, leaving nothing but an empty scroll behind; the seals seemed to vanish with him.

Kuruto picked it up, attached to his waist, and ran for his life, away from the gaining ninjas who were practically screaming for his blood.

* * *

**A/N Alright I'm done! If you didn't like the Naruto/OC moment, just please understand it's for the drama of the story when Naruto soon meets Kakashi and the rest of the gang. Yep, he's from a different dimension that will be explained later and Jin…whoa. He's not who you've expected right? Find out later on as the story progresses! And Anko is a bit OOC but I needed someone to care for Kakashi. Aw…I feel bad now. Sorry if it was short!**

**Please review~!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Just to clear up the little confusion from the last chapter, it was Naruto who started the kiss and not Kuruto. Again, this will be one of the major things for the drama later on. Let's focus on Team Seven and the Chunin Exams now. Enjoy guys!**

**Disclaimer: …I get it now…**

**WARNING: Angst, bashings here and there, yaoi, fluff, OOCness, etc.**

* * *

"The Chunin Exams are getting near," Kakashi announced with an eye-smile. "Team registrations are going on right now. I trust that you all know what this means."

"Um, when do we sign up, Sensei?" Sakura asked, nervously.

"Signings aren't until tomorrow morning from 6 A.M.," Kakashi answered. "It ends at the end of this week. From now, we'll just take a small break. You're all dismissed. Remember, it all weighs on your decisions so choose wisely."

He _poofed_ before his team could say anything. Jin was a bit disappointed while the other two just stared at the place where their sensei disappeared.

"Well, Sasuke-kun," Sakura spoke up, shattering the small silence. "Are you going to register?"

"Hn," Sasuke scoffed. "What do you think?"

"Oh, uh – do you want to do something? Oh! I know! Let's go on a date!" Sakura beamed.

Jin and Sasuke stared at the girl, disgusted with the lack of passion she had for her ninja career.

"Going on a date during this week is trivial," Jin said, voicing in both of their opinions. "Actually, going on a date during this time of your life is useless. The Chunin Exams are important and you know it. At least, I hope you do."

"What does that mean?" Sakura screeched, stepping forward in front of the boy. "Are you saying I'm stupid? Just to let you know, I was the top kunoichi of my class and kunoichi of the year."

"Yeah, _was_," Jin muttered.

"What did you say?" Sakura growled, taking another step forward. "I dare you to say it again."

"The people must be crazy to think that you are the top kunoichi," Jin continued, ignoring the visible threat. "You're not even a kunoichi. You're just a mindless, guy-obsessed bitch who never knows when to shut her mouth. Everyone clearly can't see that; unless you did something to them. Oh, I don't know…seduction maybe? But they're crazier if they fell for that face of yours."

Sakura's face was red in anger. "You're useless! You can't do anything for this team!"

"Look who's talking!" Jin retorted, his calm demeanor breaking. Kami, this girl – no, disgrace of a kunoichi – was practically an idiot.

"What?" Sakura glared. "Are you jealous of Sasuke-kun?"

Jin gaped at her. "Since when was Sasuke involved in this conversation?"

Said Uchiha just nodded slightly, not bothering to step in. He thought it was amusing and just stuck around to watch.

"I knew it!" Sakura screamed, jabbing her finger at Jin's chest. "You're jealous that you couldn't be like Sasuke-kun! You're weak, pathetic, and inexperienced in the shinobi arts! Why don't you go back to the Academy and learn from point zero again!"

Jin's face grew dark and his eyes shifted into a dark maroon color before going back to deep brown, startling Sakura for a second. "Don't touch me with your filth."

A shiver went up Sakura's spine and Sasuke didn't miss the tension in the air.

"I suggest you do the same," Jin growled. "I bet you can't even do anything to save your own pathetic little ass."

Sakura flushed. "O-of course I can! You just never saw me in action."

Jin smirked, which made Sasuke and Sakura feel uneasy. "Alright then let's do a little practice session. It'll be good for the Chunin Exams. You are signing up for it, aren't you?"

"Of course I am!" Sakura stuttered out. "I was thinking about going tomorrow morning and signing up at the top of the list."

"Good," Jin smiled, "'cause if you chickened out, we wouldn't be able to take part in the exams anyway."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Kakashi did say choose our decisions wisely," Jin answered, shrugging his shoulders. "If one teammate doesn't sign up for the exams then the whole team sits out. It's pretty simple as it is. You can't go as a two-man squad. Imagine what would've happened if I didn't replace your past teammate. You wouldn't get your revenge against the man you're chasing."

Sasuke wondered how he even knew of the Uchiha massacre but just brushed it aside. He also dismissed the fact that the boy called their sensei by his first name. Sakura looked hesitant, probably thinking about the exams over again until Jin interrupted her thoughts.

"Let's begin our practice session," Jin smirked, taking out a kunai.

Sakura widened her eyes. "W-what are you doing?"

"Getting ready for the session," Jin said. "You run away while I try to kill you. Simple as that."

"W-wait!"

But it was too late to back down when Jin already appeared in front of her. Sasuke was too slow to reach for her and cursed at that. Inside, he was surprised at how fast Jin was. His speed was practically high-Jounin level. He wasn't the only one surprised.

_Ching!_ Sakura closed her eyes, waiting stupidly for the blow. When she felt nothing, she slowly opened her eyes to see her sensei's back looming over her, blocking Jin's kunai with his own.

"What are you doing?" Kakashi growled.

"Teaching her a lesson is what I'm doing," Jin glared. "She clearly needs to know her place."

"Put the kunai down."

They both entered a staring match until Jin reluctantly put the kunai back in his holster and walked away, leaving his team behind. Kakashi really hoped that his team would mend during the Chunin Exams, but it seems like Kami-sama didn't hear his silent prayers.

In the heavens, a white-haired man sneezed while throwing his cards on the table. He rubbed his nose with a tissue that Kushina gave him, cursing loudly when he realized he lost again.

"Who's up for a rematch?"

(First Day of Chunin Exams)

Sakura signed up anyways just to be with her dear Sasuke. After a disturbing scene with Rock Lee and his team and a little genjutsu business, they were finally in the examination room, but not before Kakashi wished them luck.

"Sasuke-kun!" a blonde-haired girl screeched. "I've missed you so much!"

Ino practically appeared out of nowhere and jumped onto Sasuke's back who grunted slightly from the weight. Sakura glared heatedly at Ino, grabbing Sasuke's arm.

"Back off, Ino-pig!" Sakura hissed. "Sasuke's mine!"

"Well, Billboard Brow," Ino replied with a smirk. "It looks like I have to take him away from you."

"Hey, where's Naruto?" Chouji asked.

Sasuke tensed but Sakura answered for him. "He's dead." It created quite an uproar among the Konoha Twelve.

Jin walked off into the corner and pretended he didn't know who they all were. He sat down on a seat in the far corner and looked out the window, his thoughts drifting to Kakashi. He was clearly in love but he always was. It hasn't been long since he arrived from his dimension.

"Hey," a high-pitched female voice said. "What are you doing here?"

Jin looked up, annoyed, to see a black-haired girl look down at him. She had very long black hair that was tied at the end and black eyes. She wore her forehead protector that had a symbol of a musical note, a pale green vest, and snake patterned pants and scarf.

"My name is Tsuchi Kin," the girl introduced. "What's yours?"

"Endo Jin," Jin answered indifferently.

"May I sit here?" Kin asked, gesturing at the seat next to him.

"What about your team?" Jin asked suspiciously.

"They're acting like total retards," Kin replied, rolling her eyes. "You're the only one around here who seems sane. A girl needs her space sometimes and being stuck with a bunch of dimwits isn't helping clean the air for me."

"Sure. Take a seat."

They struck up a pleasant conversation, surprisingly to Jin. They were interrupted when an ash grey-haired teen brought attention to himself by claiming he could find out any shinobi's information with some deck of cards. After it all ended, Kin left to her assigned seat by the proctor Ibiki.

Jin thought the test was ridiculously easy and finished in no time, waiting for the exam to end. He leaned his chin onto his hand and wandered his eyes over the other test takers. Sakura and a pineapple-head boy finished rather quickly with two Hyuuga following after. He was a bit surprised that they could cheat so well despite their lack of…_field_ experience. Maybe they do have some hope after all, maybe. His mind wandered back to Kakashi.

"Alright, pencils down!" Ibiki barked. "We will grade your exams and if we find one mistake, _one mistake_, then you'll have to take it again next year. Raise your hands if you can't handle it right now. If you raise your hand, you will also be kicked out with your teammates."

An uncomfortable, tense silence hung in the air until one boy raised his hand, mumbling an apology to his teammates when they left the room together. Others started to raise their hand not because of the pressure but because of Ibiki's intimidating stare.

Sakura gulped nervously and slowly started to raise her hand, but her hand dropped loosely by her side as if she couldn't control herself. Jin's sharp eyes could see a faint chakra rope around her wrist yet did not see the one who caused it. He was quite surprised that the ninjas monitoring the room didn't notice nor did Ibiki.

"Alright," Ibiki nodded. "You all pass."

"What?!" Everyone exclaimed – well, more like the Konoha teams.

Jin ignored Ibiki's explanation about a shinobi's willingness and such. He felt his head start to droop when a sudden crash alerted him.

"Heads up, boys and girls, this is no time to be celebrating! I'll be your next proctor. Mitarashi Anko. Huh? Why the hell is there so many brats, Ibiki?"

Jin glared at the woman. No matter what relationship she had with Kakashi, she will pay for interrupting their moment days before.

"Supposedly, the will of fire is familiar to you?" Ibiki groaned. "And please, no more flashy entrances."

Anko grinned. "Thank you for the compliment."

"It wasn't one. Your entrance was unnecessary."

Anko pouted, causing a few guys to swoon. "That's so mean, Ibiki. Anyways – " She turned to the genins. " – follow me for your second part of the exam."

(The Forest of Death)

Really, all they did was talk and talk and talk. Jin leaned himself back against a tree, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He found himself start to close his eyes again, leaning his head to the side to avoid a thrown kunai.

"You should pay attention, kid," Anko whispered in his ears behind him. "You might get killed."

"I didn't, did I?" Jin snapped.

Anko was shocked when he easily vanished from her grasp, reversing their position.

"And just to let you know," Jin whispered in her ears. "Kakashi's _mine_."

Anko shivered at his darker tone and stumbled to regain her balance when he shoved her away. She flushed in embarrassment when all eyes were on her. She cleared her throat and shouted, "Now that you all got your scrolls, get ready – "

Jin walked over to his teammates, ignoring their looks.

" – set – "

Everyone prepared themselves to sprint once the gates opened.

" – go! – "

Everyone dashed inside the forest, the gates closing behind them, telling them that they couldn't return.

* * *

**A/N Got that done, finally! Anyways, Naruto will FINALLY appear in the next chapter! And, yes, Jin is not really supposed to be there…He's from a different dimension. Ah, so many questions. Well, hope you enjoyed it although it being a bit rushed.**

**Review, please! ~**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Another update! I really like how this story is going along so…yeah. Enjoy! The second phase of the exams will be a bit different though to fit with the flow. And I'm not good at writing fight scenes although I tried. **

**Disclaimer: …**

**WARNING: We probably get the point, right?**

* * *

It's been a few hours in the forest and Team Seven were starting to get tired – well, Sakura was. They were in the possession of a Heaven scroll. All they needed was an Earth scroll.

"How long are we going to be here?" Sakura whined. "Where is the bathroom?"

Jin, who was in a bad mood from earlier at the sight of Anko and the unexpected hot weather, turned to glare at her. "Who would find a bathroom in the _forest_? Go find a spot."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked. Realization soon dawned onto her features. "What? Do you expect me to do that, you pervert?"

Jin's vein popped in his forehead. "Just go! Or we're leaving you behind to rot"

Sakura flushed and walked away, trying to find a good spot far away though her sick fantasies – let's not go there, shall we?

Jin and Sasuke waited for a few minutes, not speaking to one another. A scream in the distance, identified as Sakura alerted them. They both ran quickly to where the scream was coming from, jumping through the trees, and landed on their feet.

They took out their kunai and rushed in for a fight to only make Sakura scream again.

"W-what are you guys doing here?" She screeched, jumping up from her spot.

The boys stared at her for a few seconds. "You screamed," they both deadpanned.

"Oh, well, there was a bug and, you know, I hate bugs so – "

Jin sighed. "Let's move. Other teams would've heard you."

Sakura blushed and was about to leave with them until Sasuke suddenly tackled her down. Sakura blushed harder. "S-Sasuke-kun?"

_Cha! I knew he liked me from the start! _Inner Sakura cheered, pumping her fist in the air.

Jin deflected a few shurikens with his kunai and jumped back. "Get their scroll while I distract them."

"Who said you were the leader?" Sasuke asked, standing up. Sakura was still in a state of shock on the ground.

"I don't think she'll be much of a use," Jin replied, pointing at Sakura. "Unless you want to, I don't really care as long as we get the scroll."

"Ne, ne, do you have an Earth scroll?" a girl asked, appearing in front of Jin; causing him to lose his guard for a second at the unexpected entrance. She threw a round-house kick at him when she got her chance and flipped backwards in midair as he slammed into a tree. A Heaven scroll rolled to her feet.

"No?" the girl pouted. "Guys, it's zero again!"

Sasuke gripped the kunai in his hand and Sakura shakily stood up, noticing the large shuriken above her head.

The girl was from Kirigakure, judging from her forehead protector, and had shortly cropped light blue hair and dark green eyes. She wore a long-sleeved dark blue shirt, a gray skirt over black tights, and blue shinobi sandals. She wore gray arm warmers with blue linings.

"Che, at least we should get rid of them," her teammate spat at the ground, appearing behind her. "Takashi, go in and strike."

He had inky black hair and dark blue eyes that showed no sympathy or emotion whatsoever. He wore a similar outfit to the girl minus the skirt and leggings; instead, he wore a pair of gray shinobi pants. A large shuriken was attached to his back.

His other teammate who appeared in front of Sasuke unexpectedly raised a katana above his head, which Sasuke barely dodged with the help of his Sharingan. Sasuke flipped multiple times backward until he was in front of Sakura who still looked a bit dazed and horrified.

"Make yourself useful," Sasuke said to her before charging into battle against Takashi.

Takashi was the twin brother to the girl with the same outfit as his other male teammate.

"Go, get him, Takashi!" his younger sister cheered. She then directed her eyes at Sakura and smiled eerily, which sent shivers up Sakura's spine. "The girls shouldn't be left out, right?"

Meanwhile, Jin wiped the blood from his lips and smirked, quickly appearing behind the shuriken-wielding boy. "Boo."

Jin threw a sidekick at the boy's back, making him widen his eyes in shock. _'He's fast_._'_

The boy sailed through the air but rotated his body so he could plant his feet against a tree, chakra flowing to his feet. "Heh, you're good."

Jin appeared in front of the boy again but the boy expected it, already forming hand seals to his jutsu. "**Suiton: Bakusui Shōha**!" (**Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave**)

The boy opened his mouth, causing a large volume of water to come crashing down onto Jin. Jin has seen this jutsu before. Although the boy still needed some more control over it, the size was pretty big for a kid his age. Jin could only run as fast as he can to avoid getting drowned, jumping high to gain a good distance. The boy started to literally ride among the waves he created, the water crashing on to the ground they were on.

Suki, the girl, along with her older brother Takashi jumped up high like Jin to avoid their teammate's strongest jutsu.

"That guy must've been tough if Shigeru used that," Suki said to her brother. She watched as the useless girl she was fighting with before screamed as the waves drowned her, her arm reaching for help. "Mah, she's weak."

Suki jumped down, transporting chakra to her feet so she could stand on the raging waters, and pulled up Sakura.

"T-thank you," Sakura gasped out, her eyes wide.

"Don't thank me yet," Suki smiled, taking out her kunai. She raised it above her head and stabbed Sakura's eyes, creating a wide gash across both of them, and earning a shriek of pain from the poor girl. "There. Now you don't need to fret over your looks anymore or look in the mirror to see how ugly you are! You can thank me now!"

She dropped Sakura back into the water and jumped up, helping her brother against Sasuke. Speaking of Sasuke, he was a bit banged up from Takashi's crazy and unpredictable kenjutsu style. He had cuts and scrapes all over him, his Sharingan flaring as it spun faster. He dodged a slash at the knee and attempted a round-house kick to Takashi's head to only have it blocked by Takashi's blade.

Suki took out a few senbon needles and threw it swiftly at Sasuke's arms and legs, only hitting thin air and a few tree trunks when he barely dodged it, but one hit him on the shoulder, immobilizing its movements.

"It's getting old now," Suki pointed out, kicking Sasuke aside when he got surprised from the needle. "Finish him, Takashi!"

Takashi nodded and dashed towards Sasuke's body, raising the blade to slice off his head. Sasuke couldn't move; his energy was drained from the never-ending fight with the kenjutsu user.

All Sasuke saw was red, red blood dripping on top of his face – but it wasn't his.

"It's kind of tiring to watch over you all the time," Jin said.

Sasuke widened his eyes as rage took over him but he noticed what Jin just did. He practically took the hit for him, his shoulder bleeding from an ugly slash.

"Oh, this?" Jin asked, casually and unfazed from the wound. "It's nothing."

He literally bent the blade lodged into his shoulder from the katana; kicked Takashi away, ripped the blade out, and threw it at his chest. Takashi's mouth coughed out blood and his eyes dulled when the blade was thrown at his chest, pinning him harshly to a tree.

Suki screamed at the sight of her dead brother. She glared at Jin with her teeth bared in anger. "How dare you!"

She dashed at Jin, not noticing that even the raging waters disappeared, with her senbon needles in between each knuckle in both hands. She threw them from her right hand, to only have them deflected by Jin's arm as if they were made from steel.

As soon as she got close, Jin launched a punch at her face, gripped her shirt with the same hand, and threw her to the ground. Hard.

A snap was heard, making Sasuke cringe. Damn it, he was an Uchiha. He shouldn't…

"Find Haruno," Jin ordered. "Come back when you find her. I'm going to set up camp."

Sasuke wouldn't take orders from someone like Jin but stood up shakily and jumped down to find their useless teammate, not looking back at the dead team. He didn't care what Jin would do to the bodies as long as he got rid of them.

(An hour later)

They all found a cave nearby and set up camp there. Sakura's eyes were bandaged and taken care of but it was the last bandages they had after treating their own wounds.

Sakura sobbed at the loss of her sight and it almost made Jin feel bad, almost. Hey, he was human – sort of, anyways – but was still annoyed from her constant bitchy whining.

"I can't see anymore!" Sakura sobbed loudly, hugging her knees to her chest. "W-why? How can I see Sasuke-kun's face anymore? How can I be a kunoichi like this?"

"You never were in the first place," Jin muttered to himself, slipping his shirt on after checking his wound.

Sasuke was brooding, not even bothering to hear what was going on; he was too lost in his thoughts.

"We got both scrolls so we'll just have to go to the tower tomorrow morning," Jin sighed, leaning back against the dry walls. "Let's take a break for today."

"How did you do it?" Sasuke asked abruptly. His voice was quiet, soft.

"Do what?"

"Killing them."

"You saw me; unless it's about the other one."

"I meant, how did you kill them with no…mercy?"

Jin chuckled for a few minutes until it turned into a full-blown out laughter that echoed in the large cave. Sakura shivered and hugged her knees tighter as if it was her life line.

"There are things that should stay hidden," Jin answered with a small chuckle. "Besides, this is a survival test. You kill or be killed. It's as simple as that."

"Y-you're a monster," Sakura whispered.

"This isn't the first time I've heard that," Jin smirked. "Like I said, in this world, it's either kill or be killed. A shinobi is nothing but a tool and a machine to kill each other until there's one last man standing among the corpses."

Sasuke and Sakura felt like it was déjà vu again, remembering what happened back at the Wave mission. They all eventually went into a deep sleep, trying to forget what happened and hoping for a better day.

(The next day)

It was difficult moving around since Sakura kept lagging behind. After eating a small breakfast and packing up camp, Team 7 set out to find the tower and check-in.

They were all silent as they dashed through the trees. Sakura would've shrieked with joy to be carried on her crush's back but wasn't in the mood, which was appreciated by the two boys.

Jin felt a sinister presence around him and observed his surroundings carefully for any threat to find none. A bad feeling suddenly bloomed in his guts until it was too late. The whole team was suddenly blown away by a strong gust of wind.

Sakura let out a scream of pain as Sasuke fell on top of her while Jin winced from the pain coming back in his wounded shoulder. He really hated this body he was in.

A cold, snake-like laughter came above them. All they saw was a huge snake.

"You're a bit banged up, I see?" an oily voice spoke from on top of the snake. "Hmm, and who are you?"

Jin picked himself up from the ground. "Last time I saw you, you were a pretty good guy but…I believe in this world it's different."

_'Just like Kakashi,'_ he thought bitterly.

"Kekeke," the feminine-looking man chuckled. "You speak as if you weren't from this world."

"Actually," Jin smirked. "I'm not. I was about to keep it a secret but – "

He suddenly appeared in front of the man. " – I'm not a patient one." He threw a swift kick at the surprised man, taking the chance to charge at him again and throw a punch.

His suspicions were confirmed when the man suddenly melted. It was a clone.

"My name is Orochimaru," the man introduced with an eerie smile, standing in front of Sasuke. "I can help you, Sasuke-kun; you know, about your revenge."

Sasuke glared before lunging at the man, engaging into another tiring fight. Jin appeared from behind Orochimaru and attempted to kick him but he was still a Sannin while Jin was stuck in a twelve-year-old body.

Sakura desperately looked around to catch what was going on but could only see nothing. She crawled towards a bush and hid behind it, trembling in fear while covering her ears with her hands.

Sasuke threw shurikens and kunais at the snake-like man to only have it missed. Jin jumped up and raised his leg in an axe kick, missing the man's head by a few centimeters.

"Such child's play," Orochimaru chuckled. "Come on, I know you can do better than that, Sasuke-kun."

"Do you always attract pedophiles?" Jin joked. Sasuke glared at him before dodging a punch and counterattacking with a round-house kick followed by a flipping axe kick.

"It's getting a bit boring," Orochimaru yawned. "Why don't you show that Sharingan of yours?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth and charged with a kunai in his hand, Jin doing the same. It was both futile when they seemed to work on their own.

"I thought you were attacking the left," Jin hissed, flipping backwards.

"I was until you popped out of nowhere," Sasuke growled back, sliding backwards on his feet.

"This is getting nowhere."

"No shit."

"Can we work together for once?" Jin sighed.

"Hmm, let me guess – no. With us, it's a no."

"At least, attack his front and I'll take his back."

"Good enough."

They sprinted towards the waiting man, never expecting the large snake he was standing on before to block them and attack. They jumped high to avoid its dangerous fangs until another gust of wind threw them back. Jin and Sasuke slammed against trees until falling onto a trunk.

"Do you have a plan B?" Sasuke asked.

"As of right now, no," Jin answered. "Just attack with everything you got."

"Done, already?" Orochimaru smirked. "I was expecting a bit more from you, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke cried out in rage and charged with great speed at the man, slashing and kicking with all the energy he had left. Jin was left with the snake who hissed at him.

"I'm not enjoying your company either," Jin shrugged. He jumped back and threw shurikens inside the snake's mouth, causing it to choke and fall down to its death.

The fight went on and it seemed like there was no end. Jin's wound reopened at some point and Sasuke was littered with more cuts and scrapes. Orochimaru wasn't wounded, the lucky bastard. He somehow got them tied up with his creepy snake pets. Jin cursed at his limitation of power.

"Oh, but all I want is Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru said. "You're interesting, too, but my intentions lie on him."

Sasuke shivered at the look the man was giving him.

"Can you escape with your Sharingan I wonder," Orochimaru mused. "Let's find out."

Then a weird thing happened. His neck, his _neck_, stretched towards him like a snake and the boys could see his fangs protruding from his mouth. Jin and Sasuke struggled desperately trying to get out of the snake binds while trying not to get bitten.

Sasuke widened his eyes when the man's head seemed to appear right next to his neck. He clenched his fists and closed his eyes tightly, waiting for whatever the man wanted to do. He felt nothing.

"Seems like you're lacking," a familiar, husky voice spoke.

Jin gritted his teeth when he saw a tall, cloaked figure stepping on the man's long neck, to only have it melt.

Sasuke widened his eyes. He couldn't bring the words out of his mouth. That voice, was he dreaming?

Fortunately, Sakura's head popped out of the bush, voicing his thoughts. "W-who are you? Guys, what's going on?"

Okay, maybe not but it was close to what he was thinking.

"Hello to you as well," the figure greeted blankly. His head turned towards Jin and Sasuke saw a faint glow of red and cerulean blue beneath the hood.

"Jin," the figure said dryly.

"Uzumaki," Jin growled. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm here to save my world," Naruto answered, "and to bring your ass back to prison where it belongs."

* * *

**A/N It was a bit rushed, I know, but I really wanted Naruto to come out. Yep, he'll be a badass but you'll see more of his character as it goes on. Loved the reviews I got! And yeah...I sort of feel bad for Sakura but there will be a reason why later that she's blind. ^_^ And this Naruto is older than the deceased one.**

**Review for this one please~**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N I love the people who are following/favorite/reviewed and such! This one is for you guys! Also, there will be sci-fi elements from the dimension that Naruto came from but I will show it bit by bit. **

**Disclaimer: I. Don't. Own. It. Except for the OC's. **

**Warning: Angst, GORE, bashings here and there, OC's, OOC, etc.**

* * *

"W-what are you talking about?" Sakura asked, crawling meekly on the ground and patting her hand around in the dirt to see where she was going. "Sasuke-kun, is that…?"

"Naruto," Sasuke said; his eyes wide in shock. But, he was supposed to be dead. Just what the hell is going on? And why was he so tall? His voice didn't make it any better although he thought it was a bit sexy. Ahem, no one heard that.

Jin glared at the tall, cloaked figure. "That is not where I belong. It is _you_ who belongs there! I know what you did and you know it."

Naruto chuckled darkly. "Look who's talking, _shippai_ (**1**)."

Jin flinched at the word yet his gaze hardened quickly. "Go back. This is somewhere you don't belong. You know what will happen, do you?"

"I came knowing what will happen," Naruto said. "I'm willing to risk it. But you're here as well."

"You're an idiot."

"Thank you."

"Um, Naruto," Sakura spoke up quietly, kneeling on the ground. "Aren't you supposed to be…d-dead?"

Naruto looked around, noticing that his other self wasn't here. "Seems so. Anyways, I have business to take care of. Carry on with whatever you're doing. Oh, here."

He snapped his fingers, causing the snake bindings to burn, but not the boys. "Avoid that man. He's a little…different here, it seems. I assure that Jin will take care of you."

"Why aren't you taking me back?" Jin snapped, standing up.

"You want to go back that badly?" Naruto joked. "Sorry but you'll have to wait. My transportation service is cancelled for the day. Besides, I have something else to do. Good-bye."

Jin stood there, stunned but a bit relieved inside. He'll take his time to get his old body back before Naruto will take him back to that hellhole. Time _is_ precious. However, he was confused.

"What do you have to do?" He asked, suspiciously.

"Something," Naruto answered, walking away. "_Dare ga gaitō suruto hai no naka kara futatabi jōshō shimasu _(**2**)."

"Y – you - ?"

"Good luck with that traitor of yours," Naruto waved off. "Isn't that why you're here?"

"He's not a traitor!" Jin shouted.

Naruto vanished before Jin could do anything about it. He fell onto his knees and glared holes into the empty space where the blonde stood before.

"What was he talking about?" Sasuke asked, an unknown emotion flaring in his eyes. "Tell me, Endo, before I – "

"Before you what?" Jin interrupted bitterly. "You can't do shit now. Just – let's just go."

He stood up and started speeding through the trees to the direction of the tower. Sasuke slammed his fist into the ground, grimacing at the melted skin from Orochimaru on the ground. He stood up and hoisted Sakura onto his back, following Jin's trail.

(Few hours later)

"C-can you tell him to wait?" Sakura whispered in Sasuke's ear. "Or slow down?"

Sasuke didn't reply as he boosted up his speed. He secretly agreed with the girl though he didn't want to get on Jin's bad side after seeing what he had done so far.

"Oi!" Sasuke shouted despite himself. "Slow down!"

Jin suddenly stopped on a branch, causing Sasuke to collide against his firm, tense back.

"Are you cons – "

"Shh." Jin silenced them, looking around cautiously. "Don't you sense something _off_?"

Sasuke looked around, trying to sense whatever Jin sensed, but his body already reached its limit and he was too tired to even listen to what Jin said.

"I don't – "

"Sasuke-kun!" Apparently, Sakura's hearing was perfectly fine and she could hear a faint whistling of some sorts coming from the front.

It was a bit too late though when the gust of air pressure hit them full force. Jin tried to cover himself but was soon flung back from the force, hitting his head against a tree thus knocking him unconscious. It was the same for Sasuke who let go of Sakura.

Sakura fell down on the ground and winced when she impacted the dirty ground. She shakily stood up and felt three chakra signatures behind her, three very strange chakra signatures.

"Aw, look at her," a proud voice said. "She's trembling."

"Calm down, Zaku," a baritone voice said. "We're here for one reason only; get Sasuke."

Zaku rolled his eyes and leaped to get Sasuke but thrust his arm down to create another air pressure to blow away the kunai Sakura threw.

"Hn, the little bitch still has some fight in her," Zaku pointed out, attaching his feet to the side of a tree.

"I'll kill her," Dosu said. "Just get Sasuke."

Sakura took out a kunai, her hand trembling and sweating. She feared that the kunai will slip from her hand but that wasn't the problem. If she couldn't see them, how was she going to fight? She'll just have to rely on their chakra presence and her hearing.

She heard the sound of his footsteps getting closer and prepared herself, but was stunned when a sharp pain echoed loudly in her ears. Her body was paralyzed and she doubted that she could do anything. Tears slipped from her blind eyes under the bandages and a few escaped to trickle down her cheeks.

_'I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun, Jin,'_ was her last thought. She braced herself for the killing blow but it never came. Instead, she sensed someone else before her.

"How dare you attack a girl like that?" a familiar voice exclaimed. "That is just not right!"

"L-Lee-san?" Sakura stuttered out, surprise and relief filling her worn body. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to save you," Lee replied with a grin. "Remember what I said earlier?"

"B-but, we're still enemies."

"I'll protect you until I die, Sakura-san!" Lee turned with a grin but was replaced by a look of horror. "Sakura-san, what happened to your eyes?"

"Oh, this," Sakura said shyly, raising her hand up to the bandages. "We got ambushed by a Kirigakure team yesterday and this happened."

"Sorry to interrupt your little moment," Dosu said, raising his Melody Arm. "But we're busy."

Lee dashed towards Dosu with intent to beat him but was thrown back by a strong gust of air pressure. He braced himself though, his feet sliding back on the ground. Dosu dashed towards him but Lee stuck his hand in the ground and pulled out a huge root, blocking him from Dosu.

"Your attack has some trick to it, right?" Lee asked. "I won't dodge it normally like others."

Dosu looked quite surprised that this fool figured it out.

"I saw your move before and I won't fall for it."

Sakura had no clue what was going on but only one thought crossed her mind. _'He's strong.'_

"But I'll still be at a disadvantage since it's one against three."

Sooner or later, Lee's left ear was somewhat damaged and bleeding due to Zaku's attack; he appeared a few minutes later with Sasuke slung over his shoulder. Sakura flinched but tried to help by throwing a few shurikens at Zaku. They were deflected by Zaku's air pressure attack. She heard the dull sound of Lee's body falling against the ground.

While this was happening, Team Eight was hiding in the bushes, watching the scene.

"Damn, they're at a disadvantage," Shikamaru stated, crouching low to avoid getting spotted. "Sakura lost her sight and Lee's out, which is not good. They're too strong."

Ino trembled at the sight of her former friend. She wanted to help, really, she did, however she was too scared to face the opposing team. They would surely knock her out in a matter of seconds – or possibly kill her.

"This is scary," Chouji whimpered. "Can we leave?"

"No," Ino said with a slight gulp. "Let's wait."

"Wait for what?" Shikamaru asked with exasperation. "Sakura is your friend, Ino, or was anyways. What are you waiting for; her death? Or maybe you wanted your precious Sasuke-kun to come rescue them? From what I see, he's out like a light."

Ino bit her lips from screaming back at her logical teammate for his insult. What he said was true though, she admitted reluctantly. But she stayed still. Maybe she was waiting for the right time to jump in and save the day. Yeah, that was it, wait for the right moment.

Sakura then yelped when Kin appeared behind her and gripped her hair tightly. "Your hair is shinier than mine. Hey! If you have time to worry about your hair, you should practice."

She pulled her up more and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Do I always have to watch over you and your little musketeers, kid?"

Sakura thought she was imagining things but Kin quickly tightened her grip and pulled her away. She felt someone tapping against her skull in short and long presses. Then she figured out what the girl was doing.

**Nod once if you understand,** the code said.

Sakura weakly complied, nodding slightly while trying not to bring attention to herself.

**Once I end my second sentence, raise your kunai and cut your hair from my grip,** the code spoke rapidly.

Sakura just nodded slightly, not caring about her hair. She cared about her life right now, thank you very much.

Kin then shook Sakura's head side to side with a cold smile. "Getting all spiced up like a woman…"

Sakura waited while clenching her fists in the ground. Whoever this person was, she had to trust her. And she was pretty good at acting if she came this far.

"Why don't you kill that Sasuke guy right in front of this whore, Zaku?" Kin asked.

"Sounds good," Zaku grinned, forgetting the fact that Sakura was blind.

_'Now!'_ Sakura thought. She pulled out her kunai and raised it to her hair, slicing the pink strands from the girl's grip.

"Sakura-san," Lee choked out, turning his head slightly to look at the poor girl.

Everyone, minus Kin, widened their eyes in shock at the girl's action. Flashbacks seemed to cross Ino's mind and she started to shake.

_"Hey, Ino! There's a rumor that Sasuke-kun likes girls with long hair!" _Sakura smiled.

_"…likes girls with long hair…likes girls with long hair…likes girls with long hair…"_

Ino gripped the dirt beneath her, not caring if the dirt was seeping into her nails. Hell, Sakura's hair was – no, she shook her head. This wasn't the time for that.

Sakura kneeled there, not knowing what to do.

"Kin, kill her!" Zaku shouted in rage.

"Sorry, but I'm not Kin," Kin smirked, taking out a few senbon needles in between each of her knuckles. "And I don't usually take orders."

"Wha - ?"

Zaku screamed in pain when senbon needles seemed to pinpoint all the vital parts in his arms. Dosu widened his eyes. "What the hell is going on?"

Team Eight watched in shock including Sakura, Lee, and Lee's team who was standing on a tree trunk above them all.

Kin dashed towards Dosu and jumped, forming a side kick to his chest and bending her knee back to land on the ground. The kick was harsh as it blew the boy through some trees. Zaku attempted to use some air pressure to damage his crazy teammate but couldn't due to the senbon needles.

Kin used that moment to throw a punch at his face and a swift back kick to his stomach, sending him sailing through the air against a tree.

"Now, I have a little question for you, punk," Kin snarled dangerously, holding him by the collar. "Do you know a guy named Kisama Daichi? Has your boss ever mentioned him around before?"

Zaku stuttered a few jumbled up words for a few seconds and his eyes widened at the look in Kin's eyes. "I – I don't know! Honestly!"

"Don't you dare lie to me," Kin glared, her eyes bleeding into a crimson color. "Spit it out!"

"I – I heard Orochimaru-sama talking about him," Zaku answered rapidly. "But it was for a few seconds! I heard him say something about the third round of the Chunin Exams and that's when he'll strike or something like that! Please, have mercy!"

Kin sneered. "Mercy is something that shouldn't exist in this world. Consider yourself having a spot in the dirt."

Zaku widened his eyes. "No, no, no! Ple – ahh!"

He screamed in pain as Kin forced her lengthened nails into his chest, ripping out his heart in the process. Everyone watched in horror when Kin threw the body aside together with the unmoving heart. She turned towards them with a crazy smirk on her face.

"Well, I'm done for the day," She said, making a ram seal. "Kai!"

Her form shimmered for a second and she morphed into a tall, cloaked figure. "You did pretty well, Sakura. Sorry about your eyes. Of course, it wasn't me."

He turned to leave but a hand clutched at the end of his cloak and pulled, revealing the person from underneath.

"N-Naruto," Sasuke gasped out, shocked at the handsome teen standing before him.

Everyone gaped at the blonde teen who just stood there, looking back at them indifferently. "That was rude of you, Uchiha."

He looked like the deceased blonde but different. He still had the unruly spiky blonde hair with the exception of having two, chin-length bangs framing his handsome face and the three distinct whisker-like marks on each of his sun-kissed cheek, but the difference were his eyes; the left one was the deep cerulean blue that Sasuke had loved before and the other eye was a deep crimson color with a demonic slit within with a faint scar running over it. He wore a black sleeveless chest armor with gray linings, a pair of shinobi pants with scrolls attached to his slim hips, and a pair of black combat boots. His hands were adorned with black fingerless gloves.

Naruto wordlessly picked up his cloak and turned around. "Forget that you ever saw me."

"Wait!" Sasuke cried out, picking himself up. This got everyone quite a bit taken aback. They had never seen him like this. "Why won't you come with us?"

"Do you realize what you're getting into?" Naruto asked coldly. "Just forget that you ever saw me; that's all I ask."

"But, at least, answer one question," Sasuke pleaded, acting out of character. "Why are you here?"

Naruto stayed quiet for a few minutes. "Haven't you heard what I said before? I'm not repeating myself. Ask Jin if you want to know more. I don't care if you believe in all of the shit he's going to say to you but just stay out of my way."

He fixed the cloak back around his neck and covered his face with the hood. Before he disappeared though, Sakura called out, "Wait, Naruto-san!"

"Be quick," He snapped, his patience dwindling. Do they have to ask so many questions?

"T-thank you for what you did earlier," Sakura said. "If you weren't there, who knew what would've happened to us."

Naruto sighed. "Your welcome. Just don't get in my way."

"Will we see you again?" Sakura asked meekly.

Naruto just vanished. _'Sooner than you might think.'_

(The next day)

Jin scowled, rolling his wounded shoulder around. After being treated, he still felt like shit. As the Sandaime was talking about Kami-knows-what, Jin was thinking about the damn Uzumaki.

His words still echoed in his head. _"Dare ga gaitō suruto hai no naka kara futatabi jōshō shimasu."_

Sudden shouts of anger snapped him out of his muddled thoughts.

"What do you mean preliminary?" Shikamaru shouted.

"Since there's too many of you," Hayate explained, "we've decided to insert a preliminary round before the official third round of the Chunin Exams. Perhaps the first and second tests were too easy for you. According to the rules of the Chunin Exams, a preliminary will be held to reduce the amount of people advancing. As Sandaime-sama said, there will be many guests for the third round of the exams. In other words, we can't have long, pointless matches and our time is limited as well.

"Therefore, if you're not in top physical condition – " Hayate cut his sentence by entering a coughing fit.

_'Is he okay?'_ everyone thought at the same time.

"Excuse me," Hayate spoke after he was done. "Those of you who wish to drop out, please speak up now. The preliminary will begin immediately, so…"

"Immediately?" Kiba exclaimed.

"But we just barely passed the second part of the exam," Ino groaned.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered.

"Wait!" Chouji shouted. "What about food? I can't go on without food!"

"I forgot to say this but," Hayate interrupted, "from now on it will be individual matches."

Jin cheered mentally in his head. Yes, no one to drag him down although he expected this.

"It's your decision to drop out or not, so please raise your hand if you choose to do so," Hayate continued.

Sakura looked doubtful. After getting a new change of bandages and news that she will never see again, she clearly felt low of her abilities. How could she go on when her sight has been damaged for life?

She was about to raise her hand until a voice spoke, "Excuse me…I'll quit."

"Kabuto-san?" Sakura whispered, recognizing the voice.

After he walked out, Hayate asked, "Is there anyone else?"

"This young girl right here," a voice spoke.

"Wha - ?"

Kakashi widened his eyes. No, it can't be, it couldn't be. Even the Sandaime and Jin looked shocked.

"If you're just allowing her to go on," Naruto said, "you're all pretty heartless. She's blind."

"N-Naruto-san," Sakura stuttered with a flush. "I can go on, thank you."

"No, you can't," Naruto replied. He bent down to whisper in her ear, "I need you for something else anyways."

"Who are you?" Hayate asked in a defensive stance.

"Who am I?" Naruto mused, pulling his hand up to his hood. "Watashi wa – "

He took off the hood, gaining gasps everywhere.

" – Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto!"

* * *

**A/N Cliffies are my joy! And, no, it will not be NaruSaku. I see them more in a sibling relationship. The reason he's so nice to her is due to, you guessed it, her relationship with him in his dimension. There are also reasons behind Naruto's actions and such.**

**Translations:**

**(1) Shippai – means "mistake" or "a failure" in Japanese**

**(2) Dare ga gaitō suruto hai no naka kara futatabi jōshō shimasu – it means "Whoever falls will rise once again from the ashes"**

**I'm not even sure the translations are right. ^_^ll Google translator and such. I'm also sorry if I rushed the fight with Lee and Team Sound. I really wanted it to get to the point where Kin is actually Naruto. I'm not really patient, as you can see. I took some parts from the actual anime during the interaction with Kin and Sakura, including the explanation about the preliminaries with Hayate.**

**I wanted Naruto to say, "Watashi wa" then saying "I am" 'cause if he says it like that then it would bring a more dramatic effect, speaking in the Japanese language and such. I'm weird, I know.**

**Also, keep in mind that Naruto will react differently with the people he meets since he's from a different dimension and such. So...expect a whole lot of angst when he meets Kakashi face-to-face. XD**

**Review, please! Much appreciated!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N I seriously want to get the Chunin Exams over with so I'm skipping the preliminary since I believe it's just going to drag the story. Nothing important happens in that part anyways…Let's just go to the Third Round! More essential things happen there! And I'm making Naruto a bit older than 16. Sorry for the confusion!**

**Also, a little note, since Sakura is intelligent on her own, she will sooner or later adjust to her blindness and use it to her advantage. I found Sakura extremely annoying in both the manga and anime in both Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, so I made her more bearable in this fic. She actually had good potential but…this is just my opinion so, yeah.**

**I've actually thought of killing her off in the previous chapter but, meh, she'll be important for later. REPEAT: IT'S NOT A NARUSAKU OR NARUHINA FIC!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but OC's.**

**WARNING: Major angst, a little fluff, OC's, OOC, gore, sci-fi elements, etc.**

* * *

It was finally the day for the third test of the Chunin Exams, which the whole village waited for. There was a long line at the stadium, teeming with villagers of all ages.

"Sakura!" Ino shouted, waving her hand in the air. "Wait up!"

Sakura turned around with a small smile. "Ino."

After the preliminaries, they started to hang out more and Ino even cut her hair short like Sakura out of guilt, but refused to turn blind, which made Sakura laugh. Ino surrendered when she found out that she would be fighting Chouji. She stated that she would lose either way to her big-boned friend.

"Are you excited to see Sasuke-kun in action?" Ino asked with a grin.

"I can't see, Ino," Sakura replied dryly.

"Oh, yeah, sorry," Ino said sheepishly. "Well, I'll tell you the events, you know, like a reporter."

"I'd rather go with the crowd's excitement, thank you very much."

"Aw, fine. So, what happened with, uh, Naruto? He seemed pretty serious."

Sakura thought back to their private conversation, their words echoing faintly in her head. Could she do what Naruto asked of her?

" –kura! Sakura!"

Sakura blinked under her bandages. "What?"

"You were quiet for a long time," Ino pointed out. "Come on. We need to get good seats!"

Sakura nodded as her friend took a hold of her hand, dragging her into the crowd. Her other hand clenched the device tightly in her pocket.

(With Jin)

Jin slid the metal wristbands onto his wrists, clenching and unclenching his fists. He smiled to himself when he felt his chakra supply increase dramatically.

"Enjoying it, I suppose?" Naruto spoke from the doorway, his hood covering his face from view.

"Keep whatever crap you have to say to me to yourself," Jin said with a glare.

"You're hopeless."

"And I hate you."

"Touché, my friend; so did you make him fall head over heels for you again? Or did you fail again, _shippai_?"

Jin flinched at the word. "Stop calling me that."

"Old habits die hard."

"I'm not the bad guy."

"I didn't say anything about you being the bad guy. How long have you been in this form?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"True. So, has he been breaking through? You know that you can't stay sane for long."

Jin visibly tensed. "You know what, I don't even know if we're enemies or not."

"Oh, why do you say that?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Are you trying to get to me?" Jin hissed, standing up.

"Why would I?"

"…This is getting nowhere."

"Your everis levels (**1**) are weaker than before," Naruto pointed out. "How long have you been like this?"

Jin sighed, sitting back down with his hands covering his face. "I don't know. A couple of weeks, I guess. I see him in my sleep, Uzumaki. It's just getting worse." His voice cracked and sounded broken, so much like the broken machine he was.

A flash of pity and concern crossed Naruto's eyes. "Did you bring – "

"No. I was in a rush. The damn ANBU was faster than what I've expected."

"Well, get your act together," Naruto said. "Who knows when you'll break?"

"Shut up, Uzumaki. Since when did you care?"

"I always did. We were friends before; who says we can't stay friends again."

"We're not friends anymore," Jin said through clenched teeth. "Not after what you did."

Naruto glared. "He was leaking information to them, Jin."

"He was _forced_ to!"

"It still marks him as a traitor. Who knows what would've happened if he kept going on? Trash is supposed to be thrown away; he was useless." He was mocking him, daring him to attack.

Jin cried out in rage and charged at Naruto with his fist pulled back to throw a punch however, due to their different heights, Naruto had the advantage. The blonde gripped Jin's approaching fist, grunting from the smaller boy's amazing strength, and threw him against the wall. But Jin didn't give up there. He charged again, jumping up and lifting his leg high to strike Naruto's face with an axe kick until the door opened.

"Jin, it's – what the hell?"

Naruto took that moment to block Jin's kick and reach for his shirt to slam him against the ground. There was a long tense silence until Naruto stood up, dusting himself off. In the process of the fight, his hood slipped.

"Keep a leash on your pet, Hatake," Naruto said coldly. "He's still untamed."

Kakashi widened his eyes. "N-Naruto?"

"Traitor," Naruto hissed under his breath, loud enough for Kakashi to hear.

Kakashi flinched at the cold, darker tone the blonde held. He wished that this was the Naruto he knew before but he knew it was impossible. This Naruto was on a whole different level; although, he did hope. He can hope, right?

"Wait, Na – "

"Don't," Jin interrupted, smacking his hand away. "Words are useless against the idiot. What were you going to say?"

Kakashi blinked and tried to process what happened. "Your match is going to start in a few minutes."

Jin walked out the door, his hands stuffed in his pockets until he felt a warm hand on his arm, causing him to flinch. Sweet, longing memories flooded in his head, causing him to slightly tremble at the overwhelming warmth in his chest.

"Tell me what's going on, Jin," Kakashi said quietly.

Of course, in this world, only the blonde bastard would be in his past lover's head.

"If I tell you, you're just going to get more confused," Jin said in response. "Let me do what I need to do and no one will get hurt."

(Chunin Exams Arena)

"The first match: Endo Jin vs. Hyuga Neji!" Genma announced.

Whispers and murmurs erupted in the crowd. Sakura gripped Ino's hand in nervousness and anticipation, smiling when her friend squeezed back.

Jin and Neji walked into the arena, immersed in each other, their looks steely.

None of the words from the proctor was heard in the boys' ears yet one snapped them out of their intense trance.

"Begin!"

Jin watched as Neji jumped back a bit to gain a good distance between them. No words were exchanged and the silence was shared with the crowd who only watched with wide eyes, not wanting to miss any action. Somehow they knew that this fight was something they didn't want to miss – or forget.

"So," Neji smirked, "you're the one I've heard that killed the Kiri team. You don't look much."

"Talking with a stick up your ass isn't much either," Jin replied indifferently, his hands in his pockets and body relaxed.

Neji glared. "Accept your fate, Endo. This is where you'll fall."

Jin tensed but regained his composure quickly. "Enough talk, let's get on with it."

He suddenly appeared in front of Neji in a surprising burst of speed, his fist pulled back to strike the prodigy's face. If it wasn't for the Hyuga's quick reflexes, he could've sported a bruise on his pretty face – a very _ugly_ bruise.

Neji quickly struck with his palm at Jin's shoulder to block his chakra points however all he hit was air. A sudden pain exploded in his back as he was thrown forward, his face falling on the dirt. Shame, fury, and hurt pride burned ragingly in his guts. How dares this – this _fool_ hit _him_, the Hyuga prodigy?

"Aw, look," Jin grinned cockingly. "Do you need something to get rid of that wound, little boy?"

"Shut your mouth, you imbecile!" Neji screamed in rage. "Your fate is to be defeated and _I_ am the one who will make it happen for you!"

Up in the stands, Hiashi widened his eyes slightly at the rage his nephew was feeling. Heck, all the spectators were feeling the rage as well and shivered at the intensity level, but their eyes were open and wide, not wanting to miss the details. Sakura started to tremble and tightly squeezed Ino's hand who squeezed back in reassurance and nervousness.

"Don't worry, Sakura," Ino whispered, her voice slightly cracked. "Jin's fine. Neji's the one who got hurt."

"I'm not worried about that," Sakura mumbled under her breath, eyes wide under the bandages. "N-Naruto…Naruto is…"

She could feel it even among the large crowd. Naruto's chakra was going haywire and she felt sweat dripping down the side of her face, curving on her cheek and falling down onto the cold floor. In her ears, she could hear the loud sound of her sweat drop plopping on the floor, echoing loudly in her ears. Terror gripped her heart and she found it hard to breathe. It was too much…

" – kura! Sakura!"

Sakura flinched. "Um, what happened, Ino?"

"Are you sure you're alright? This is the second time you've spaced out. Do you want to take a step out?"

"N-no. I'm fine."

"Oh, they're starting again!"

Jin dodged the angry palm strikes with smooth sidesteps and bending backwards a few times.

"Come on, release it!" Jin shouted with a crazy grin. "Show me your anger! Show me _everything!_"

Neji gave out a cry of anger, almost like a war cry, increasing the chakra bursts and speed of his palm strikes. No matter how much anger fueled inside of him, he was smart enough to keep his stronger techniques on hold. In other words, he was still sane – somewhat.

"Is that all you've got?" Jin said, disappointment in his voice. "I was expecting more from the all mighty Hyuga prodigy."

"You talk big," Neji panted out.

"Thank you. You don't talk much as well."

Jin took out a few shurikens from his pouch and threw them at Neji who only deflected them all with his own kunai. Jin took that chance to jump above Neji, his leg raised high, preparing an axe kick. Neji jumped back and was surprised to feel pieces of debris knick at his face.

'_He's extremely strong,'_ Neji thought to himself, dust obscuring his vision. _'He has brawns and brains, which is a deadly combination. But he hasn't showed signs of other techniques so maybe he's simply just a taijutsu-user? No, it can't be. Mere kicks and punches are standard for Academy use but I've never seen him around the Academy. I can tell…he's hiding something?'_

"Looking for someone?" a voice spoke behind him.

Neji whipped around to only see wires all around him, faint and shimmering under the sun. They all immediately tightened around him, binding him from moving. He activated his Byakugan yet saw nothing but dust.

'_How can there still be dust?' _Neji thought. _'Wait…no!'_

"**Revicks (2): Shidare Sharedo**,"Jin whispered, creating a one-hand ram seal. (Revicks: Weeping Charade)

Neji watched as darkness started to bleed in his vision. His Byakugan couldn't see anything much to his frustration. He saw darkness, the spectators saw Jin standing over an unconscious Neji; the thing was that his Byakugan was still on and his eyes were still open.

Genma walked in to call off the match and announce the winner but an invisible chakra rope refrained him from moving his body and his lips, which caught the visiting Hokages and the Sandaime's attention. The Kazekage followed the invisible rope but it somehow vanished under his sight as if it was never there in the first place, leaving him a bit frustrated and a bit surprised.

It felt like hours had passed until Neji gasped, finding himself back in reality.

Jin's face was covered in sweat and he was trying to regain his breath. _'Shit. I used too much chakra.'_

"Do you see?" Jin said. "Fate is inevitable but you still have the power to change it; at least, if you try to."

Neji shook, pushing himself up from the ground with clammy hands. "W-what did you just show me? Why…?"

"I am not from your world," Jin answered. "In fact, I shouldn't even be here however I came knowing the risks. I came here to change my fate. And if you don't cut the crap about your and everyone else's fate, at least, keep it to yourself; it might be too bothersome."

Neji stayed silent for a moment. "We are still in a battle, aren't we?"

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Jin took out a kunai and charged with the same burst of speed but a bit slower this time.

Neji activated his Byakugan and went into an all-too familiar stance in Hiashi's eyes.

'_What? How could the boy…?' _Hiashi thought incredulously.

"Otou-san," Hanabi asked with wide eyes. "Isn't that – "

She was cut off when Neji shouted the technique she was about to say.

"**Hakke Rokujūyon Shō!**" (Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms)

Neji waited for Jin to get within the circle. As soon as he was in arm's reach, he struck.

"Two palms!" Neji struck two consecutive strikes.

"Four palms!" Another two strikes. He never noticed Jin's smirk.

"Eight palms!" Four more strikes.

"Sixteen palms!" Eight more strikes.

"Thirty two palms!" Sixteen more strikes. Blood flowed freely from Jin's mouth.

"Sixty four palms!" Thirty two more strikes and done.

Neji panted from the drainage of energy, trying hard not to fall over despite his trembling legs. Jin lied down on the floor, unmoving. Somehow, it felt good to Neji, releasing his pent up anger inside, but it made him feel sorry for hurting the poor boy.

Genma, who somehow got untangled from the chakra ropes, raised his hand to call off the match and announce the winner until his hair blew slightly from the unexpected wind. He widened his eyes along with the spectators when Jin appeared, his kunai over Neji's neck and his hand pulling back Neji's long hair. Neji was face-down on the ground with shimmering strings binded around him.

Jin smirked. "I win."

Genma shook out of his shock. "The winner of this match is Endo Jin!"

A stunned silence covered the audience until they all started to cheer slowly at the amazing, unexpected fight.

Sakura smiled and clapped as well when suddenly she froze. This chakra…

She widened her eyes under her bandages in horror. "Jin!"

Ino looked at her, confused, when she gasped in horror at what Jin was about to do. He raised the kunai slowly in a stabbing position, directed at Neji's jugular vein and they saw it plunge into Neji's neck.

But what they heard wasn't Neji's scream, but Jin's. It sounded inhumane, hollow, and metallic in a way. It sent shivers up everyone's spine including the watching Hokages and the disguised Orochimaru.

Jin's kunai was lying on the ground, untainted with blood, and Neji was trying to stand but the strings were wrapped tightly around his body.

Genma watched as a cloaked figure slung Jin's unconscious body over his shoulder.

"I'll take him," a familiar, husky voice said from under the hood. "Carry on with the other matches."

He disappeared, leaving no trace of him behind.

'_Naruto,'_ Sakura thought. _'Please help Jin – and yourself.'_

(Hospital Room)

"Stay down!"

Jin screamed and thrashed uncontrollably under his tight grasp as Naruto stuck a needle in Jin's arm, successfully pushing in the liquid. Jin's flashing sapphire blue eyes started to slowly fade and his body started to relax until it went limp, making the boy succumb to a troublesome sleep.

Naruto gripped the sheets in tight fists until he turned around, releasing the lock seal he put around the room beforehand yet left the soundproof seal on.

He sat down at the side of Jin's bed and brought his hand up to his face, tracing a strange black marking that curved over his left eye, stopping at the center of his cheek. It had appeared today after he left Jin's room before the match had begun.

"It already started," he mumbled to himself. "Jin…it started."

He turned to see his old friend's face, which sported a black mark of his own.

* * *

**A/N Yay! I'm done. Sorry. I know…**_**so**_** many questions, right? Hope you liked it. And, no, there was no NarutoXJin but they were old friends. Think of Jin as a Sasuke in the other dimension.**

**Kekeke…Well, wait for the next chapter and it'll possibly answer some of the questions you're having!**

**I know Neji's little dilemma with fate and such isn't what you've expected but…don't worry! Naruto will have more action in the next chapter! **

**I suck at fighting scenes…I'm sorry. TT^TT**

**Translation:**

**Everis levels – It's a term from the other dimension to refer to an - mentality and emotional levels. You'll find out more and yes…Jin's not human.**

**Revicks – It's like Ninja Art: (insert jutsu name) but more for people like Jin. It has its own unique qualities and is different from ninjutsu in the Naruto world we know.**

**Review please~~~**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N I'm sorry for not uploading in such a long time! _ This is for everyone! I thank KitElizaKing for your reviews and support, and watervaper9 for being my most loyal follower! This chapter might explain some questions you're having so let's go on with the show!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. OC's are mine.**

**WARNING: Angst, sibling fluff, other stuff, etc.**

* * *

"Second match: Uchiha Sasuke vs. Sabaku no Gaara," Genma announced.

Loud chatters and whispers erupted from the crowd again but it was louder than the previous match that took place. Sakura gulped while seeking for Ino's hand with trembling fingers. Ino's warm hand caught hers and she smiled.

"Hey," a loud voice asked, "can I sit here?"

"Chouji!" Ino grinned. "Sure!"

Her friend was holding several bags filled with chips altogether with munching some from the open bag in his hands. He sat down on the empty seat next to Ino and set the plastic bags he held down in front of him. "So, what's happening now?"

"It's Sasuke's match," Ino said, wrinkling her nose slightly at the strong smell of BBQ chips. "He's going against that creepy sand guy."

Down at the stadium, Gaara waited eerily at his spot, his arms crossed over his chest and his intense, blank eyes unwavering at the empty spot where Sasuke was supposed to be.

The absence of the Uchiha seemed to catch everyone's attention rather slowly and many heads turned around to see where the avenger was at.

"What's going on?" Ino shouted, accompanied by many others. "Where's Sasuke?"

"He's getting ready for one of his dramatic entrances with sensei," Sakura replied dryly. "I can feel him getting closer."

As if on cue, a loud explosion occurred at one of the walls, smoke billowing freely around the area. Everyone covered their heads out of instinct while the other shinobis went into a defense stance, kunai ready at the hand.

"Sorry we're late," a familiar voice spoke from behind the smoke. "We're on time, right, Genma?"

Genma smirked but there was a hint of exasperation in his eyes. "As always, Kakashi; get your brat on the stage now before he gets disqualified."

Kakashi eye-smiled, rubbing his hand behind his head, and nudged his silent student forward. "Go on."

Sasuke appeared on the stage with a shushin, eliciting cheers from the crowd. His clothes changed to a black, one-pieced version of his past outfit with many small arm-belts adorning his left arm and similar bands around both legs.

Girls squealed at the sight of him but quickly died down when Gaara started to tremble slightly in his bloodlust.

Sasuke glared and went into a defensive stance, his kunai in his hand.

"Begin!"

In the stands, Sakura slightly jumped when Kakashi appeared behind her.

"Sorry, Sakura," He announced sheepishly. "Where's Jin? Did he win or lose?"

"Naruto took him," Sakura replied quietly, "after he won against Neji-san."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Neji?" He then took in a sharp intake of breath. "Naruto took him?"

"Yeah!" Ino exclaimed. "Jin went crazy at the last minute and tried to kill Neji but Naruto stopped him and took him away after that." She shuddered, remembering Jin's hollow scream.

Kakashi suddenly had a bad feeling bloom in his guts. He turned to leave but stopped when Sakura reached out for his arm.

"Help Jin, sensei," Sakura whispered. "I-I think he's hurt. And, please, help Naruto, too. They're both suffering from something."

Kakashi flinched at the mention of the blonde. He didn't say anything before using shushin to go find his student and his dead yet not dead lover.

(With Kakashi)

Kakashi cursed as he looked in the same room the third time. Why was it so hard to track two guys that had overwhelming chakra reserves in a small hospital?

Suddenly, he stumbled when an enormous, horrible wave hit him hard in the head, making him dizzy and see everything fuzzy. He regained his balance and leaned against the wall, his hand trailing against the hard, plain white surface. It was getting closer with each step he took.

The feeling intensified tenfold when he arrived at a locked door that he had never seen before. Genjutsu…a strong one.

It then suddenly stopped and he blinked hard to get his bearing. The door suddenly slammed open, revealing a tired-looking Naruto. His face was covered by his bangs, a shadow looming over his eyes.

"Jin's fine," he said. "Leave." He slammed the door close but Kakashi stopped it with his hand.

"At least, let me see him," Kakashi said softly. "Then I'll leave."

Naruto stared at him with unreadable eyes and sighed. "You have five minutes. Then _leave_."

Kakashi let out a sigh of relief he held for so long in his chest. Get close to the blonde and find out what the hell was going on. Easier said than done.

When he walked in the room, he was surprised to see no sunlight shed inside the dim, dark room. Naruto closed the door behind him with a loud click that echoed and bounced off the walls.

The blonde walked over to a small night table and turned on the light from a small lamp. Kakashi looked down at his resting student and widened his eyes.

"What happened to him?"

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. "Five minutes up. Get out."

"Did you do this to him?" Kakashi snapped suddenly.

"As if," Naruto scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Now get out. You overstayed."

He stepped over to open the door but Kakashi didn't budge, his eyes lingering on Naruto's face.

"Your face…" Kakashi whispered. "What happened?"

Naruto instinctively raised his hand to cover the strange black marking that appeared over his left eye. It was never there before, he was sure of it.

"It's nothing," Naruto mumbled, his other hand clutching the door handle. "Get out."

There was a small silence between the pair until Kakashi reluctantly walked slowly towards the door. He stopped when a hand gripped his arm tightly.

"Don't leave me, please," a small, cracked voice spoke. "You promised me that you won't leave."

Kakashi slowly turned around, ignoring Naruto's wide eyes. He flinched when he saw the glowing, ice blue eyes of his student staring at him. They were hollow and mechanical at the same time with a faint red hue at the pupil.

"You said that you won't leave me alone," Jin whispered painfully. "You promised me."

Naruto suddenly smacked Jin's hand away with a glare and shoved Kakashi out the door. "Get out or else – "

Jin started to thrash and scream in his bed, his hands gripping the sides of his head. Naruto rushed towards him however he was thrown back by an invisible force.

"I loved you!" Jin screamed out. "I gave you everything! You said you loved me!"

Kakashi froze at the spot. When did he say that? He didn't love Jin…he loved Naruto, his favorite little blonde fox. What…?

Naruto turned to glare at the man, wiping the blood away from his lips. "I said _leave_!"

Jin suddenly stopped, his head turning sharply to the side with his eyes directed at Naruto, a deadly intent radiating off of them.

"It's your fault he's on their side," Jin hissed in an inhumane voice. "You let him get killed! I hate you, Uzumaki! Rot in Garast (**1**) and never come back! Die and go to hell!"

Naruto's hand reached over the night table and grabbed a shot with gray liquid inside. He jumped onto Jin's body, grunting as he tried to keep him down with the shot out of the boy's reach.

He turned his head towards Kakashi with a piercing glare, his eyes a bloody red and his teeth bared, showing off his lengthened canines. "_Leave!_"

A gust of wind thrust Kakashi out of the room and caused the door to shut close. The last thing Kakashi saw was Naruto stabbing the needle into Jin's neck and Jin's blue eyes brimming with tears. An aching pain throbbed in Kakashi's chest when he saw the pain and betrayal in Jin's eyes. Just how much did he not know?

And then the door closed shut in front of him, vanishing as if it was never there in the first place. Kakashi stared at the empty spot in a daze until he heard screams from the outside world and everything goes black.

* * *

**A/N End! Yeah, that was probably short and didn't answer much of your questions. It caused more to form in your head, right? What is wrong with Naruto and Jin really? What the heck is that black mark? All that stuff.**

**Terms:**

**(1) Garast – the name of the prison in Jin's dimension (weird, I know; but my mind comes up with the strangest things. It will be revealed more later on.)**

**(2) Jikan no iriguchi – Dimension of Time**

**Yeah, I guess that's it. Sorry I didn't get into the fight with Sasuke and Gaara but…it would've been dragging on and the fact that I suck at fighting scenes also proves that. I wanted to show the interaction between Jin, Kakashi, and Naruto. This is drama for a reason.**

**Sakura, as you can see, woke up from her little dream world and faced reality. She has no more affections for Sasuke but there are some left there.**

**I might also write a new story so watch out for it. XD**

**Please review~**


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